Headline Roundup • April 8th, 2026
CA Democrat Eric Swalwell Denies Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Eric Swalwell, Democratic Congressman from California and the Democratic candidate for governor, is denying allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Details: A number of DC insiders, Democratic strategists, and social media influencers have claimed online that Swalwell 'behaved inappropriately' with young staffers. The accusations were circulated by Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and political media personality. The women involved are limited in what they can say due to non-disclosure agreements, but they have retained lawyers. Swalwell's office has denied the allegations, and while polls show him behind Republican Steve Hilton, he does continue to have slight lead over other Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls in the June 2nd primary.
Key Quote: "This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race," said Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell. On X, Hunt posted, "Smearing survivors with claims that they "teamed up with MAGA" is morally repugnant. These women are brave and deserve to be heard. We are working with legal counsel and the investigative team of a highly reputable outlet to ensure that those stories are told the right way."
For Context: In recent weeks, Swalwell has also faced claims from a right-wing activist questioning his California residency and reports that the FBI is reviewing his past associations with an alleged Chinese spy. The campaign has also denied wrongdoing in these matters. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican Steve Hilton in the California gubernatorial primary.
How the Media Covered It: CNN (Lean Left bias) reported that Swalwell's campaign claims that no one in his congressional office has been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement in 13 years. Fox News (Right) focused mostly on Hunt's allegations, and her claim that she has been contacted by a number of other women sharing similar experiences after she posted her original video detailing Swalwell's alleged advances.
Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Suggest an improvement to this summary.
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AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Eric Swalwell's campaign denied allegations of relationships with young congressional staff members that have circulated online, according to reports in Politico and the Los Angeles Times.
A number of Democratic strategists, D.C. insiders and social media influencers have claimed online that Swalwell behaved inappropriately with young staffers, according to the reports. Some influencers said that a group of women have retained lawyers, but are limited in what they can say due to non-disclosure agreements. Neither outlet was able to independently confirm the allegations.
The Swalwell campaign denied both claims.
The campaign of Rep. Eric Swalwell, the California Democratic candidate for governor, on Tuesday sought to rebut claims made by several people on social media that multiple women plan to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct involving staffers.
"This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race," Swalwell campaign communications director Micah Beasley said in a statement.
He also said one prominent...
California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell's, D-Calif., campaign broke their silence on allegations circulated by Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and a political media personality, fiercely denying any sexual misconduct towards former staffers or interns.
"This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race," Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell, told the New York Post.
Hunt, who now runs a youth...
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